Bodies and Dollars: Crash Course History of Science #41 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The content explores the rise of big pharmaceutical companies and GMO foods, as well as advancements in reproduction technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and cloning.

Key Insights

• 🥺 Advances in brain science during the Cold War led to the development of drugs like Thorazine and Valium, improving treatment options for mental disorders.
• 🫥 The ethical implications of using immortalized human cell lines without consent or compensation highlight the need for informed consent and fair compensation in scientific research.
• 😋 GMOs have transformed agriculture, but controversies exist around issues such as environmental impact, food safety, and corporate control.
• ♿ Assisted reproductive technologies like IVF have become widely accepted, but access to these technologies remains unequal.
• 🤕 Cloning, though banned in most countries, is technically possible using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), but environmental factors and epigenetics would still result in differences in the cloned individual.

Transcript

After World War Two, the applications of basic discoveries in biology took off—and became big business. Today, we’ll look at the rise of Big Pharma and GMO foods. We’ll also discuss how life-science technologies fundamentally changed reproduction: it’s time to invent In Vitro Fertilization and clone a sheep! [Intro Music Plays] When we left medicin... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the rise of big pharmaceutical companies impact the field of psychiatry?

The development of drugs like Thorazine and Valium revolutionized psychiatry by providing effective treatments for mental disorders such as schizophrenia and anxiety.

Q: What ethical issues surround the use of immortalized human cell lines?

The case of Henrietta Lacks raises questions about informed consent and ownership of cells. Her cells, known as HeLa cells, were used extensively in research without her consent and her family received no compensation.

Q: What was the first genetically modified organism approved for consumption?

The "Flavr-Savr" tomato, genetically modified to resist bruising, was the first approved GMO for consumption.

Q: What are some of the controversies surrounding GMOs?

While GMOs are widely used in agriculture, concerns about their impact on the environment, food safety, and corporate control over seeds have led to pushback from consumers.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• After World War Two, the field of biology saw significant advancements, leading to the rise of big pharmaceutical companies and GMO foods.

• The development of brain science during the Cold War led to the discovery and use of drugs like Thorazine and Valium, which revolutionized psychiatry.

• Ethical issues arose with the immortalization of human cell lines, exemplified by the story of Henrietta Lacks, whose cells were used without consent and no compensation was given to her family.